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Reviews

...This show is a stunner people, and though I've yet to read through all the rest of the comments here at 53000+ views I'm gonna save the lip and keep it real simple here. Today man I am extremely, extremely grateful for this one. Personally getting what I need from this second set, the salve for my soul ( and from 10/08/16 JRAD , if any one wants to hear a seller performance from them check out the whole show but especially the jam that leads originally into Crazy Fingers then weaves an incredible web through numerous tunes ending in a version of Hippie Dream with Chris Hereford featuring on guitar and vocals) ...
Hey now, Victim>Foolish, even whGn Jerry flubs a verse, that has become one of my modem day favorite combos. The possibilities with Victim such a dark song, it has a feel to it I always liked that song and since my first show was 4/1/95 with that high energy second set opener the song has a place very well kept in my heart.
Then what is perchance, the best Dark Star of the last half of the the Grateful Dead performing years down into the drums/space and beyond. . And the rest of the show like I said but this is it. Pinnacle performance from the 1990 summer tour
God Bless Jerry, Phil, Brent , Billy , Mickey, and Bobby and
Pig and everyone involved in the band, in the crew, man the whole GD Family..and of course the people who put this here . May the Universe bless them and theirs like I was blessed just to be able to hear and feel this when I need and have needed to. There was and is nothing like a Grateful Dead concert and what this can do for you if you just let it. You want pinnacle? Right here

It was setting up to be an interesting night all day long. The police were parading through the parking lot that year worse than ever before, not to mention is was well over 100 degrees and people were freaking out everywhere. On the field and by the time Edie Brickell came on it was almost unbearable. All that changed and literally the skies opened up on Jer's first note! The rain added necessary relief from the heat but turned annoying as the night raged on. The band...they were The Dead, high notes and not so high notes, pretty typical. Some of the arrangements were a little weak, but that's nothing new. A great set list and lots of energy all night long. One of many great shows from RFK! Considering Jer's shaky voice most of the night and some disorganization, one of my favorite shows! Hell I'd give anything to see the worst Dead show one last time!

Reviewer:Mind Wondrin
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December 29, 2015 Subject:
The next year's RFK's better, but for one exception

Not one of 90's top 30 shows (little of the rest of '90 compares to the March and December shows), though I'm sure the triple-digit heat index and torrential cloudburst pretty much precluded this - with one great exception. Edie Brickell opened. I saw Paul Simon once and she sat in the seat next to me. He stared at her for every song. She stared back adoringly.

First Set. Starts average. There's a hint of a Beer Barrel Polka tuning, into Sing as We Go, into Funiculi Funicula, going into Bertha. I honestly don't know the best A Little Light of the 21, but this one's not bad at all - a slightly different arrangement with a Bobby & Jer punctuation chord and maybe a Bobby verse would have made this one a keeper. The best performance of the set is actually Queen Jane. Who knows why Bobby wanted to perform this one - aside from being a Dylan fan. It's the weakest song from Dylan's best album and was often a bland wordfest on a Dead stage - though strong here. Stagger Lee however is enough of a trainwreck that they take a 2 minute break, not completely recovering before setbreak. Tennessee Jed is shaky as fuck but the solo's great. Jer tries for Deal but they take a break instead.

Second Set. The set is average to below average for '90 when, slowly, persistently, Dark Star swirls up into one of the best of the year (9/20 is the best but the second best is either this, 3/29, or one of the 2 Denver ones). It skids into textures that devolve with the intent of squeezing you schematically through the pinhole universe so you can stand amok t'other side. This carries through Drums as well. The rest is flat and gets worse by the end. Hey Jude is torpid and way off-key. Touch of Grey is rough-as-shit bordering on OUCH! The Weight is the 5th one, right after it was moved to the encore slot. It tries very hard to trainwreck - if not grind to a halt.

Highlight:
Dark Star>Drums - 36 minutes of one of the year's best excursions in the middle of a below-average show

SOURCES: The Miller doesn't have the clarity of the McAtee SBD, runs 1.5% slow and has cuts in Touch of Grey and Hey Jude. The McAtee needs +1% pitch to sound correct and then has the best sound. The Weight is cut off on all SBDs, so use the Nicks matrix (which sounds better than some of the SBDs anyway). It appears that the board had a mic outboard - but it's definitely a SBD with an AUD mic and not a matrix. View from the Vault II has three tracks as bonus material (both the DVD and CDs), and yes, includes the Dark Star.

A masterpiece. This is easily my favorite show of 1990 proper, the 90s, and maybe even in my top 10 or so of all time. There is an impossibly exciting voodoo that comes through this board's sound, particularly in the 2nd set, coupled with the big thunderstorm the band plays off of and a soundboard that has this strange, otherwordly *depth* to it.

The first set (sans Brent's Little Light nonsense) is altogether just fine; the theatricality of Let the Good TImes Roll into Stranger, yes! But BERTHA is a prime example of what this show is about - you want to sheer for this show, and when they push to make it happen it's just rapturous (listen to the crowd when Jer's water-logged guitar finally makes its way through the wires).

Second set, from the first note to the end, is spellbinding. The weird, soft, *very* stereo sound of the board has the band playing with lots of negative space, pacing themselves through pre-Drums; Victim and Foolish Heart both are just so....*arid* - and I mean that in a good way! The Dark Star > D > S masterwork is almost an hour long.

This may be a very subjective review; like so many shows that mean so much to one there is a preciousness to this experience that I don't want to try and articulate too closely. Listen to it and be your own judge.

There was such a nasty lightnin' storm during the 1st set. The 1st sey was long because it was slowed down on stage by sound problems and some long tuning breaks. The rain let up to start the 2nd set and then the haze set in for a very good Dark Star. Seven minutes before the 1st verse was sung. It was definitely a surpise to everyone out of Foolish, and then from that point on is where the show really took off. Loved this show and the tour.

I was on the whatever train you call it going from Arlington to dc when i met the first person with my name(christian)that was my age. I mentioned that I really wanted a bunch of special pizza toppings. He had a big duffel bag by his side and gave me a strange look. He then mentioned that his whole bag was full of those special toppings and I proceeded to to get them all from him. Got to the show and man was it hot..... I was then donned the pizza man for the day and many folks were very happy. I ate some of those toppings and started into the show when the dark clouds started looming. the rain will save a lot of people from heat stroke I thought, including myself. I was under the overhang on the first riser when the show started and the sound was muddy. It was cats and dawgs and people were complaining about the rain and sound. I told them that they had no idea how to have fun or where the best sound was. so..... I made a mad dash into the mud behind the soundboard. by the time Bertha(ripping by the way) hit it was on. not perfect but we all knew something special was happening. I was covered head to toe with mud(so was every one else).....solid first set. the box (one of the best of the era) for sure of the year. back up vocals are spot on. Into a rippin victim. one of the best ever, and i'm not even that big of a fan of the song. Wow Jer is all over it. into foolish, which is not the best but who cares when you get that kind of intro to the star, easily top 2or3 in the Brent era, maybe the most interesting. Sick d/s into watchtower. Fantacy hey jude realy put the topping on the cake for me when 100 or more of us joined in a circle held hands and sang hey jude together. Does anyone remember? Anyone who was in the mud on the field had a life changing experience that day unless they just didnt get it. touch was as smooth as it gets,and we all had a great laugh when we tried to find the heaping piles mud that contained our stuff. Love to all who cought that last year of brent. So many great shows I will never forget.

Grate show. Grate recording. Lots of Phil in the mix. All the levels are just exactly perfect. Deadheads check out Ekoostik Hookah. Start with 6-30-07, 10-19-07 & 3-28-08. I'm not comparing them to the Grateful Dead but I think alot of you will like them.

The Dark Star is really good. The rest of the show is solid, but not super-exciting. Jerry sounds pretty haggard, but he plays the guitar well. Box is nice, but not a stand-out version of the song. Victim -> Foolish is fine if you like that combo--especially Victim. Foolish is a little blah, but segues to a pretty spectacular Dark Star. This one is long and scary -- very spacey. The rest of the show is pretty good. First set has some nice moments. The Hey Jude reprise is very cool.

Good show. Worth a listen. Certainly one of the better shows of 1990, but probably not the best.

I am surprised nobody has mentioned how great this version of Queen Jane is. For me the other highlights were Cassidy, Music Never Stopped,Victim and Watchtower. This was my only Dark Star I witnessed so it also has a spot on my list of Grateful Dead experiencs so it was a highlight for me.
No, I wasn't near ashagato so I can't confirm his story but whatever it was that was handed to him it must have been good ?

Reviewer:Old&OuttadaWay
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August 22, 2008 Subject:
the rain came with a light show

from the good times- bertha, music never stopped BOX OF RAIN dark star to the weight, this just the most appropriate show that i could imagine for the conditions. how did they know? real foolish heart became a favorite. the guy with the "2,55??? shows since the last dark star at rfk" sign. that was a good tour (but dry? right?), my favorite of my era from 84-95 and i only hit raleigh, dc then buffalo (missed the scarlet fire in foxboro- had to work (gulp- a job!). (buffalo "can deadheads dance" asked graham nash). shot 37 feet into the air at the opening notes of DS 50 feet from the stage front and center. the acid traffic jam on I-95 north still makes me chuckle today. i was blowing by people at 28 mph for miles in my 1981 light blue sedan deville...

blown away- it was carter-finley at NC State with the crazy thunderstorm, the stage went black- remember that grass hill to the infield...

Reviewer:Old&OuttadaWay
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August 22, 2008 Subject:
the rain came with a light show

from the good times- bertha, music never stopped BOX OF RAIN dark star to the weight, this just the most appropriate show that i could imagine for the conditions. how did they know? real foolish heart became a favorite. the guy with the "2,55??? shows since the last dark star at rfk" sign. that was a good tour (but dry? right?), my favorite of my era from 84-95 and i only hit raleigh, dc then buffalo (missed the scarlet fire in foxboro- had to work (gulp- a job!). (buffalo "can deadheads dance" asked graham nash). shot 37 feet into the air at the opening notes of DS 50 feet from the stage front and center.

blown away- it was carter-finley at NC State with the crazy thunderstorm, the stage went black- remember that grass hill to the infield...

Reviewer:Dylan M
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July 18, 2008 Subject:
This show is unreal

Compared to the energy of much of the 90' summer tour, the energy at this show, imho caps the enthusiasm and jamming of the spring tour, and of october 1989. Everyone is on vocally and singing their most beautifully (even Phil), every number is jammed more than usual, with tight stealthy progression between songs.

First set highlights include LTGTR>Stranger which is tighter and more loud than normal. From the first verse we're Brent says "Even though we might get a little wet, i'll tell you what we're all gonna do" means business.

Box of Rain is a great first set opener as is Victim>Foolish. The jamming in and out of Foolish is unusually long and even though Jerry gets a little sloppy on some of the verses, the playing blows the energy out of the water. Dark Star is good and not too effecty, The Weight closer is fitting given the time.

Most of all, to see this kind of energy from Brent, weeks away from his untimely death, is magical and gave me faith in what i consider to be a much weaker tour than the previous stronger spring tour.

yes, this was an ecstatic show for me, mudding it up on the field, spectral stage light catching the rain drops in mid-air . . .

it was a peak tour (as was spring and the fall's garden run) for late-80s, early-90s and the brent era. however, i have to say that it simply pales in comparison to to 73 and 74 tours. i cannot in good faith say, "one of the best tours ever." 90 was the best touring FOR ME, and our era. to that, i'll agree.

but folks, grab those bertrando recordings from hollywood bowl 74, listen to miami and dillon stadium, virtually EVERYTHING from 5/74-10/74. now that would have been some touring.

that said, this rfk is still some wiggy sh*t.

Reviewer:jig_austex
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February 2, 2008 Subject:
great late period dead

...I came in hot from Pittsburgh, took two exams from summer school and rolled into RFK, armed with rolls of stickers that I got from a grocery store bakery department in Pittsburgh. In the heat of the day, I walked the lot and gave out "Fresh Baked" stickers. As I was cruising up one aisle of vehicles, I came across this gal kick-n-back against a 1968 1/2 VW Microbus Import with the seats ripped out and the whole insides covered in yellow and orange shag rug. The license plate was Kiqnbac. She had a water bottle and as I anointed her with a sticker, she gave me a cool, refreshing squirt. So I planted another sticker on her and was rewarded with another squirt. Soon she was wrapped in stickers and I was soaked with water and we tumbled into the back of her van for some other refreshments. Little did I know that it would be the beginning of a spontaneous cross-country trip and a beautiful friendship that's lasted through this current day. As a bit of foreshadowing, I recall seeing a guy with a cardboard Coke case sign saying Dark Star RFK-1973.

As for this show, it was one of the best shows of the era and certainly is deserving of the 5 stars. I remember that we left the floor and went to the top of the RFK for a refreshment, then came down into the downpour and stood at the back of the field. The air was so thick...it was like bits of humidity breaking away from rain drops to hang suspended in the air and Box of Rain just fit right in. I don't quite remember the rumbling slide into Victim, but the haunting exit out of it fit the liquefied air.

I need to pause for a moment, because my spine is tingling with memories...

The Foolish intro was, next to the epic Foolish intro from either Shoreline or Cal Expo on a date that currently escapes me, downright silly. The whole thing was ballistic. I surely got airborne during the Foolish jam before the last bits of lyrics. We were shin deep in watery mud that would make Mike Rowe from Dirty Jobs proud. I recall Brent's keyboard tinkling away the last remnants of the song...and then Dark Star came roaring out of the ether and my brain just about exploded.

I became Jesus and Moses all at once, pushing the water aside whilst walking on the flying dollops of watery mud, giggling like a madman and dancing in my own private epileptic way. It was, to me, the 2nd neatest Dark Star ever (there was a 1st set one 8/16/91 that had me giggling too) and I feel blessed to have experienced it.

Things got a little runny for me and I sort of regrouped around the start of Mr. Fantasy. This, as it turns out, became my favorite rendition of that tune because, at the end, the boys were singing both Fantasy and Jude at the same time. My recently regrouped brain took on a bifurcated existence as I tried to sing both songs, well...simultaneously. I feel for those around me who had to listen to the drenched madman try to sing in harmony with himself.

Afterwards we got miserably lost insofar as we couldn't find the vehicles, but things were dripping into each other quite a bit and we found a drum circle under the overpass which went over the Anacostia River and that kept us busy. Eventually Kim, her rider and I retired to my place in Greenbelt and, a day or two later, we set off for untold adventures that only exist on the road, on tour and now and forever, in our memories.

Hometown show - I don't know what row we were in cause there were no seats in that knee deep cesspool field turned bathroom with the field portas leaking ...great show after having seen them cheese it up in Cali a couple weeks prior.

Great copy....but I don't believe it is an AUD because we pulled the soundboards two days after the shows and it sounds identical.

Folks.. I'm brand new here. I'm not a forum attender. However, I just stumbled into the archive via another website and found myself reading people's accounts of that unbelievable day in DC. I, too, was there. Dead center, 20 rows back; Where I saw the majority of this tour.
I couldn't resist writing something... the rain, wow; it was coming down hard. Complete downpour. The stage was a waterfall. Water streaming off the lights into the color saturated air. It was amazing... the music was beautiful that night. Dark Star brought out an eruption in that stadium that has goose bumps shooting down my arms as I type. What a feeling. The shear uproar was enough to bring you to your knees. I was completely blown away. This was one the most memorable moments in my life for sure. And from what I've read; many of you as well. I believe this show ended with one of the highest energy show closer I ever saw. (if you were there tell if I'm talking of the wrong show, but I believe I'm in the correct arena) As Touch of Gray rolls, all the lights in the stadium come on. No more colored stage lights; the white stadium lights come on and there is the most unbelievable site of the night. The rain has stopped, and the crowd is going crazy. It was amazing to look around and see EVERYONE. Then this 40 foot skeleton (puppet) gets pulled up next to the stage. It was truly an amazing show. What a cool feeling it is to relive this a bit. I will download this for sure. My aud. bootleg is not so good, as I recall, because of the deluge that pounded this show.
It reminds me of another cool rain event that took place that summer I believe. Was anyone at the Greensboro show at NC state football field ( i think)? When the band shorted out... amazing how they returned.. and the hilarious antics of the crowd during the delay..

Reviewer:Mithos
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September 15, 2007 Subject:
great show

After reading all of the reviews from all of the sources I can't believe that nobody called out Cassidy. Easily a top 10 all time version of this song. Also I agree with someone who called out Victim. Not a favorite tune of mine but this version is played flawlessly. IMO Victim is a first set song. Its too much of a mood changer to be played in the 2nd set. Along with my first show, 7/13/89, this show is my favorite. This whole night though ranks very high as "MOST PSYCHEDELIC EXPERIENCE" of my life. Thanks buddy for that kind microdot !

Although there were excellent performances during the summmer 90' tour. I thought this tour was on and off. The band sounded stiff and didnt have the shake and bustling energy usually associated with really great shows. This performance sounds sloppy and i'm in the middle of Cassidy. Buffalo 90' is much tighter while maintaining that loosness.I would give the sound quality a 4.I'm looking forward to the 2nd set and Dark star.I dont like the way the drums sound in this mix.I must admit this show was a disappointing surprise after just listening to Pittsburgh 87'What a show that was!Box of rain is better than the first set then looses umph!!I'm not going to count my chickens before they hatch.I'm in the mood for a good 'Victim' Bobbys voice sounds powerful and clear...sorry..Still struggling.Foolish heart is flat as a tire. must be the weather conditions hmmm.'Foolish' begins to pick up steam 4 minutes into the song.Mickey is trying to tighten things up, no longer is the beat dependant on a simple snare drum.Nice jam at the end then they bust out 'Dark Star'.Iv'e never heard a weak Dark star.
Jerrys MIDI stretches things out, adds texture. Things get real interesting 10 minutes into song and it never lets up. Wow!!Excellent drums, aggressive and later trippy. I would say during drums the show 'peaks' unlike it ever had before.A 'spaceship' lands onstage a little after 10 minutes into drums.Jerry turns the MIDI on and leaves me in an abstract mental world then things get boring after a while as the MIDI usually is . Spaces where more interesting Pre-Frost 89' I think Milwaukee 89' was Jers last time he played space without MIDI.The end of space gets better.Watchtower is confident.Dear Mr. Fantasy is sluggish. Hey Jude is incredible.Touch of grey is certainly more snappy and tidy than the rest of the show.a skip at 1:40.Phil is tearing it up.The weight never really works...My longest review and it wasnt that good of a show

this show was so amazing. i've told the story so many times but there's no way to describe what was going on in my altered brain when those black clouds gathered right over the stadium on that hellishly hot day like it was armageddon, thunder and lightening screaming it's time for all of us sinners to pay. and then this tremendous release when the rain started pouring like a continuous bucket over your head and the mud flying everywhere and the amazing music and the energy and happiness flowing through that crowd like i never felt it before or ever since. and after a little while i started jonesing a little but our stash was wet, like everyone else's. and then out of the blue i swear to god jesus christ appears next to me with a perfectly rolled dry one and says you wanna smoke? i say hell yea, so jesus and i got high, then i turned around and he was gone. thanks, jesus! epic fucking day....

I was @ this one as well w/wife & best friend & tripping on fine mushrooms. Yes, it started raining before they started to play---REALLY fuckin' hard!!! Tarps were brought out & overed all of the equipment & it looked like they might NOT play for awhile. BUT, they came out after maybe 5-10 minutes of rain. We were a little behind Brent about 20ft from the fence/stage for all of 1st set, and yes, Bertha was rockin' while they "ran into a rainstorm." By the time we'd made it upto some seats after 1st set I SWEAR that the people playing & sliding in the mud were smashing together & their heads were exploding---like I said, the mushrooms were fine... This was my wife's first show & what a way to be inagurated. Like many here it seems we all had our 1st Dark Star @ this show & I can recall chills all over when I realized what they'd started playing. Unfortunately, this was the last show I saw with Brent, but I guess it could've been a bad show, so this was an acceptable send-off in hindsight.
One more part of the story... On our way home to Frederick (Fredneck), MD on 270, we saw a bacon samich w/someone pulled over about 2mi from the Monacocy River Bridge--so I slowed from 65 to just under 60mph. About a half mile later there was ANOTHER car pulled over, so after passing this one I sped back up to 65. I never saw the pig before he was behind me with lights blazing just after passing the Holiday Inn. I obediently pulled over and "you were going 67 in a 55, blah, blah, blah---you're not carrying any contraband in the car, are you? Would you mind if we searched the vehicle?" Now many of us may recall similar circumstances & wasn't it always put in a way that seemed you had NO CHOICE but to say "yes"? Anyway, while sitting in the cruiser signing the speeding ticket, bacon samich asked "there isn't anything in that car you don't want us to find is there?" "NO sir." BUT, while watching the other PIG rifle through the car with my wife & friend standing in the drizzly rain, I started to almost literally shit my pants as I watched said PIG pick up the bag of bread that we'd used to help wash down the mushrooms---mushrooms that were in their baggie and were stuffed into the bread bag. He picked up the bag of bread and then PUT IT DOWN & GOT OUT OF THE CAR!!! All WITHOUT the shrooms! I can remember thinking "oh shit, I'm going to jail." Got home in one piece though, and slept like a baby. Many might remember this as the start of the Frederick Sherrif's pulling over cars on 270 coming from shows down @ RFK or the Capital Centre. I took alternate routes after this year.
PEACE!!!

5/25/07 addition----I don't know who put that this is a SOUNDBOARD, but you can CLEARLY hear all the chatter around the mic that recorded this show. Yes, everyone in the band can be heard clearly, but this IS an AUD copy & we should be able to DL it.

I'm new to archive.org. The first thing I searched for was this show...low and behold, here it is!!! Unfortunately, I can't dl to my hd. bummer! Although a friend was in a tragic car accident on the way to DC from NC, this show will always remind me of "the good ole days". I'll never forget the show or the kind folks that shared it with me. Best regards to all...

Well, this was a special show no doubt. Remember how incredibly HOT it was all day, just getting to the show and lots you were covered in sweat. People were passing out. The rain and the Dead provided perfect relief. We all had tickets, but this was my girlfriend's first show (!) so we walked up to purchase tickets and by 1pm they still had some left! We still have her ticket it says "Obstructed View." The whole day and night was trippy like that. I am amazed that 60000+ people could get together and have communal experiences that were so good, I wish there was some way we could all get together again.

Everyone at this show needs to write reviews because this day was so rich in Dead lore. My memory of Dark Star > Drumz was from the upper deck we observed someone releasing glow sticks into the air on balloons and they rose up and flew out of the stadium. One by one as each floating glow stick blew away from the stadium, one by one the boys left the stage after some serious space action. I swear, as they came back on stage for Space, some glow sticks appeared to float back in. Did anyone else see this!

The other part that blew me away was the Hey Jude reprise, from the crowds Na Na Na nananana to Jerry's crazy smile and off key singing, there was a feeling of 50000 heads in unity with the band and just for a moment all was right in the world. I guess you had to be there. The screaming Jerry solo and Phil interplay that followed was the reason we kept going to all these shows.

Reviewer:iHaszASmallPenis
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March 11, 2007 Subject:
never wash up in a bathroom sink at a dead show

I remember this show .. a hot hot july heat at RFK. Maybe rained i forget. I played the box -> foolish -> dark star -> drums -> space in my cassette deck for many years, it is a classic. The place went nuts with the opening chords to dark star. Took a friend (his first show) and he was wondering how long dark star would last. The Dark Star-> Drums-> Space-> was one song to him. I found my other buddy washing up in the sink at some point, but hey at least he wasnt brushing his teeth.

I know, it's easy to put the Dark Star shows in a row and say they are the best of 1990. But this show is so well played that it might even be numero uno. And that's saying alot with 3/29/9/20 and so many others to compete with.

The Dark Star might be the most interesting version of all modern versions.

Not my first show (I was fortunate enough to have my first be Hampton/Warlocks/DarkStar '89) but definitely up there as one that most stands out in my mind, without a doubt. It was my first outside venue to see them play and a "hometown" show for me as well (a Maryland native myself).

The rain...oh the sweet, sweet rain. It made the show, if you ask me. Honestly, it was my most fun show. After that I almost wished it rained at every outdoor venue I saw them play at - never did though. This was the first and last rain storm show for me. On the floor, close up to the left of stage the entire show. It poured buckets during intermission and coming back down to that area after intermission to a MONSTER MUD PUDDLE brought on the biggest perma grin that my face hurt by the end of the night! :) Talk about feelin' like a kid again. WOW! Fun, fun, fun!

SOoo soooo many good parts to the show, but the one song that stands out in my mind is "The Music Never Stopped". The most RIPPIN'ist "Music" I've ever had the pleasure to witness and the best I've ever heard in any recorded show, period. Jerry just absolutely lights it up after the midi flute jam. He steps over, taps the pedal, off goes the flute and on comes the heat...like only Jerry can deliver. Brings chills everytime I hear it and just thinking about it now is doing the same.

An absolute must have. To get a glimpse of the magic that night, pick up "View from the Vault II". It's RFK the following year ('91 - another stellar show - missed Brent but Hornsby/Welnick pick up the slack with ease - the constant grin on Hornsby's face is priceless - Jerry really enjoyed playing with him) but has "Bonus Footage" of the 1st half, 2nd set of this '90 RFK show (Box>Victim>Foolish>DarkStar). I never was able to pick myself out in the crowd though, either show. ;) lns

This was my first dead show.....I have not heard it since.....I am listening right now.....Jerry sang the rain storm line in Bertha and I was screaming my head off with the rest of the freaks. I also remember later in the show hearing some notes twang off of Bobby's guitar. It sounded like more tuning untill the crowd went NUTS and all of a suidden I was witnessing my first Dark Star. Only later would I have a full appreciation of this. I am checking it out now. God I love the internet.

Reviewer:gphishmon
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February 27, 2006 Subject:
Right up there with 9/20/90 for best of year

This is one of the few post-77 shows I've heard that I'd give 5 stars, most from the great 89-92 period. I actually haven't heard this recording yet - the recording I had earlier is really crappy. I downloaded this before the crackdown, fortunately. I don't know what I can say that hasn't been said by others, but even the non-Stellar parts of this show are very, very good. Watchtower and Fantasy just rip. The whole first set has nary a lame song; even Tennessee Jed is a smokin' version. Victim>Dark Star is on one of the Vault releases, but do whatever you gotta do to get the whole show. You'll thank yourself, believe me, you will.

P.S. to the reviewer who states that this recording clips, I haven't heard one yet, and I am half way through the second set. Must be your headphones, soundcard??? This must be a Matrix mix, b/c at points (during TMNS), you can hear people having conversations pretty clearly, but this definetley ain't an audience tape....??....

Reviewer:VAJetsFan
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December 2, 2005 Subject:
Back to Back

RFK '90 or RFK '91? Each show absolutely blew the roof off the place. The 7 minute intro to Dark Star is still one of my favorite sections--you could just float away on it...

This show was amazing. The Rain was hard and you can hear it at times. GD made this show special for the uncomfortable fans.What's with the people complaining about tuning.I feel half the fun of any GD show was the tuning.GreatShow. Sounds GREAT!!!
They une in a "Somewhere over the Rainbow" and "Funiculi Funicula."
Download it, without thinking twice.

Reviewer:PennsylvaniaPete
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July 14, 2005 Subject:
My best Grateful Dead show out of 63

From 1987-1995 I went to 63 Grateful Dead shows. If someone asked me which was my favorite, this one comes to mind as my all time favorite. It was such a hot humid day. The storm during the first set was intense. Any other band big enough to play RFK would of stopped with the lightning, heavy rain, and wind. But for us, it just added to the experience. Second set was rain free, but cool from the storm.

Got my first, and best Dark Star.

For many years I only had a audience of several generations. This version really brought it back for me, as I hope it does for those of you that were there.

I remember this being one of those hot sweaty DC summer days, with the usual evening thunderstorm to cool things off.

The one distinct memory that I have is that during Music Never Stopped, RIGHT and I mean RIGHT after the words "Balls of lightnin' rolled along" came out of Bobby's mouth, the sky was split by this tremendous bolt of lightning. Let's just put it this way, hearing 50,000 or so people gasp and oooooh ahhhh at one time is something really amazing. One of the tripiest shows I ever went to.

RFK shows were always great , always. What a magical venue, albeit cavernous and echoing.

I try not to write reviews but I couldn't let this show go. 1st things 1st. I know it's nice to have some Aud in the mix but I'm still not sure how happy I am with the quality of this Board. I will say it is much better than the multi-gen tape I had before. I think the problem is with the og board itself. BUT YOU STILL MUST DOWNLOAD THIS SHOW!!
This was my third show. I was still new to the scene and after seeing a spread @ Dominguez Hills I wasn't quite ready for the East Coast RFK thing. My friend and I walked into that HUGE stadium and were awe struck by the bigness of it all. Even noobs like us could feel something was going on once the band started playing. It was a genius 1st set, even though I didn't know some of the songs yet. Once the 2nd set started, it was on. I'm not a box fan still but it felt special. The victim is still my favorite of all the shows I've heard and after its chaos, foolish feels so sweet. Then after we thought the trippiness was over we get a Dark Star. Just huge. After space was classic Late Brent with a Fantasy and jude. I still feel lucky I saw the Dead before Brent died and this was a great show for that. I've heard this era called the Golden Age of the Dead and I agree. Except for a few Hornsby shows(thank the lord he came in) it just got worse after this.

Reviewer:lobster12
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April 11, 2005 Subject:
what are you doing?

start downloading now! Absolute genius. Foolish>dark star, I dig on that. Love the long first set as well. This is a keeper from 1990 but it seems we say that a lot about this time period. Rich stadium and foxboro are nice companions to this

Always loved the RFK shows and DC. Very fun 1st set here. Stranger, Queen Jane and Stagger Lee stand out. Victim>Foolish Heart crackles with anticipation of the looming Dark Star and damn, it was a fierce one. Brent's thunderous intro gives that away quickly. This 2 verse monster could just as easily be tracked Dark Star>Space>Dark Star. Maddening. All other reviews are right on. Superior SBD, raucous energy by band and audience throughout. Brent's goodbye to some folks I guess. If you lived in the East and missed this one you were bummed. Not to worry though, a year later they played another scorcher at RFK with Hornsby.

I may be a little biased as this was my favorite show of the 50 I attended, but i have got to tell you that this is five star material. The band is right on and the energy is huge. The quality of this recording is awesome and does the show justice. The tape of this show has probably been my most listened to and i am pleased that this recording captures almost the same energy (my tape has a little more audience reaction/sound). This recording brings back the memories of standing in the center of that field hearing the massive sound resonating through the stadium. The rain fueled the energy from the beginning with the openers let the good times roll, stranger and bertha just rockin' the joint. The thunder boomed around us as the set closed with tennessee jed and music never stopped emphasized by flashes of lightning and busrts of awe from the audience. During the intermission, after escaping a large crowd encircling a mud wrestling extravaganza at centerfield, and watching a dwarf coated in the red-brown sludge crawl out from under them and dissapear into the crowd, we were approached by a random girl who came up to us to declare; "high, my name is marta, i knopw, it rhymes with farta, my parents cursed me when i was born. Well i'm going up front to tell phill, when he comes out, "box" and he'll look at me and say "box", and they will open the second set with box of rain." Well she dissapeared into the crowd and when the second set opened with box i was blown away. Victim>foolish was phenomenal. Hands-down awesome, only topped by a complete darkstar before drums. Watchtower rocked, I always loved dear mr fantasy>jude reprise and this was the last and how about closing out the second set with touch of grey. Just a clasic example of the 89-90 sound, the early jerry midi and the last of brent. like I say the band was right-on, great setlist and a premium recording; a must-have!

Like other hometown reviewers, this show is literally seared into my memory (may have been the heat/humidity + "dry" summer that left the whole east coast um ..wanting). I remember Edie making some cryptic reference as she walked off her opening set about enjoying the ride and not 60 seconds later the sky above RFK turned black and the rain pouring down.

There seemed to be some question as to whether the show would even start, but the boys slogged through, Brent's "we might get a little wet" reference in Good Times Roll was received with the pop from the crowd you would expect. The real heart of this show of course is the 2d set, after the "floor" had been turned into a muddy swamp and the rain stopped. The trippy take a step back with Phil giving the random countdown and Healy echo chambering the voices is classic. Phil treats the crowd to a Box of Rain which is eagerly scooped up into a mind warping Victim with odd images being thrown up on the large screens and a hypnotic opening into Foolish Heart. You will get a goosebump when you hear Mydland's ticking to launch Foolish and Jerry's leads are absolutely spot on. T

he Dark Star was the full freak, the whole crowd just going absolutely ape s*** and the lengthy intro, 6 plus minutes allowed everyone to truly appreciate the moment. The band went all the way out there and back before relinquishing control to the devils. The back side of this set is also very strong, another chill inducing moment when Brent's powerful vocals come in (albeit early) on Mr. Fantasy. The man had sick sick pipes. The Weight had just recently (3/28/90) been played so it was a real treat to catch it as an encore, absolute icing on the cake for one of the most memorable nights this reviewer had with the Good old Grateful Dead.

This is a lay-up 5 star show, must have for any fan of the band. Top 5 of the year.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Reviewer:Teaklee
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August 26, 2004 Subject:
top of their game

RFK. Summer Tour. Hometown stop. All those elements were enough to make it a very memorable event, to get a show like this oneÃÂÃÂ thatÃÂÃÂs special!!! RFK is a great stadium for sports and the band always seemed to play great shows their. The ÃÂÃÂ73 shows were legendary; this one is on par with that, just in a different era.
Where to begin, the rain stormÃÂÃÂAh the rain. Anyone in attendance could attest to high heat and humidity of that day, the first set rolls around the sky darkens, and by the Bertha, the sky opened but it wasnÃÂÃÂt until the Music did the thunder and lightning really kick in. It just poured buckets, and everyone rejoiced in the deluge. I never was caught in such pouring rain, and loved it so much!!
The Music. Simply outstanding. The first set was a rollicking good time throughout. Each song had such a bouncy feel to them. Stranger, Bertha ÃÂÃÂran into a rain stormÃÂÃÂ, Stagger, Tennessee, Cassidy,ÃÂÃÂWhew the Music closer amid all the rain, the band sounded as if they fed of the pouring rain!!! Beautiful midi flute jam going on there. The second set Foolish / Victim superb, but the Dark Star was the Beast. Wonderful exploration around the Star theme, then the Band showed their teeth and got out there. Brent went sick on this version, what a statement. Overlooked was the excellent placement of Touch to close the show. Excellant sounding recording...get it!!!!
Thanks Archive!

I remember dancing like crazy to Bertha "ran into a rain storm" with rain POURING down on the crowd, whose energy just soaked in every single drop. The band played to the crowd, with an energy of old that kind of shifted a little after Brent's passing. This show is a treat & one that should be in the collection of anyone who appreciates Brent, Dark Stars, toying jams, and hot rainy summer shows! Listen for the maxwell house coffee jam, beer barrell polka, woody woodpecker & funi-fucali(?) jams between songs. What a night, what a show, the music never stopped! Sound quality is very good, not SBD but pretty close.

Ok, whether or not this is the best summer 90 show is questionable, in light of that fantastic jam from Shoreline in June, but this is undoubtedly the best Victim or the Crime that I know of. Jerry's playing on this version is definitive, all the little melodic/harmonic loops that can be jumped through on this tune are all absolutely nailed by the fat man. When it finally ends, you get the feeling that it's because there's nothing else to squeeze out of it, and Fooolish Heart just hiccups into gear out of Victim's ashes. And then the Dark Star....whew. Download this show now !

Another one! Wow, this one I was really impressed with. All Along the Watchtower, magnificent! Clear as a bell too, despite some feedback which is only present in the beginning of the song. Jerry's vocals are strong, he really puts empasis in all of it. Live shows like these really make me wish I could have seen them, but - (sigh) - too young to have really followed them.

Also, Box of Rain is one of my favorite songs (but let's face it, they're all my favorite songs). Anyways, this is one of my favorite versions. No doubt. The end really takes on a mellow tone and, it's just really a great song in general.

THE BEST SHOW OF THE SUMMER TOUR 1990.I remember the rain comming down and Phil saying"look,we have people down here who are getting smashed.TAKE A STEP BACK!"And ya know what,they did!Box o'time!Highlight of the night was the oozing "star" that dripped with midi.Seek out sbds,as well as aud.
DOWNLOAD THIS!!!!!

This tour was amazing and so was this show. The rain was a blessing and the band was divine. The crowd was worked up into a frenzy by the band and the rain cooled us all off and fueled the fire all over again. Brents final dark star, this show is certainly a notable moment in a turbulant time. Amazing tunes thanks for the memories guys. Get this show!!

I was there if you where there you where there there was no better place to be than there

Reviewer:f324094
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April 12, 2004 Subject:
One of the All Time greats

This is one of my all time favorite Grateful Dead shows from one of the greatest tours the Dead ever did in my opinion (a virtual diamond in a sea of gold so to speak) . Jerry is strong throughout this show and the set list is awash with nugs from every era of their hallowed past. Performed in a GIANT rainstorm, the perfect mix of this recording lets you feel just enough of the crowds enthusiasm at the ÃÂÃÂrainÃÂÃÂ parts of songs to really add to the listening experience without effecting the clarity of this soundboard recording. First set Music Never Stopped and second set Darkstar star stand out as some of my personal highlights.